Newsletter 2019
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Davidson’s Mains & Silverknowes Association www.dmsa.org.uk May NEWSLETTER 2019 AGM and PUBLIC MEETING Wednesday 15 May at 7.00 pm South Hall, Davidson’s Mains Parish Church, Quality Street 7.00 pm to 7.30 DAVIDSON’S MAINS & SILVERKNOWES ASSOCIATION AGM Proceedings and Decisions 7.30 pm to 9.00 FutureDMS — DAVIDSON’S MAINS AND SILVERKNOWES IDEAS EVENT Presentation and Discussion Come along and help shape the future of our community 9.00 pm Refreshments will be provided after the event NEWS FROM FutureDMS FutureDMS ONE YEAR ON AND SECOND CONSULTATION 15 MAY FutureDMS is a community led initiative to be a forum for discussion and to seek to take forward projects in Davidson’s Mains and Silverknowes. In 2018 an online presence was established and this has been a great forum to discuss and promote new ideas, share local news, raise issues of interest and concern and it will hopefully continue to be used for these and other purposes into the future. We also held an ideas event in May 2018 and intend to follow this up on 15 May. The results of the May 2018 consultation, using the Place Standard, are summarised in a short report which is available on the DMSA website. The opinions indicated a generally positive perception of open space in Davidson’s Mains and Silverknowes – notably The Green, Davidson’s Mains Park, Lauriston Castle and the Shore. There were many ideas relating to improving outside space, a community garden, recreation and use for community events. Negative comments related to poor care and maintenance, litter and anti-social behaviour. The streetscape in the heart of the village was noted as an area where many people would welcome improvements. This includes widening pavements and improved street lighting. In addition residents would welcome a different mix of local shops and, in particular, many called for a restaurant. The Tesco store was seen as being an important asset for the community. There were a significant number of ideas generated in relation to traffic and parking. This was the greatest priority identified in the Place Standard. The ideas were focussed around three principle areas: The improvement of safe routes for pedestrians and cyclists in the area, including traffic calming and shared spaces for vehicles. Improving traffic flow (including preventing rat running) and safer interaction with pedestrians crossings by placing traffic lights at key junctions; encouraging and enforcing appropriate car parking on Main Street and dropping off at the school. The event on 15 May will pick up the two themes of outside spaces; and transport and routes to school. Regarding outside spaces we have invited short presentations from Lauriston Castle, Friends of Davidson’s Mains Park, the Christmas Lights Committee and the Gala Committee. We will then have a workshop discussion to identify specific ideas for projects and events that the community would like to see. In relation to the traffic and routes to school we will have short presentations from Davidson’s Mains Primary School Parent Council and local residents with current suggestions for the pedestrian crossing on Main Street at Silverknowes Road. We will then expand this into a workshop to discuss specific ideas for changes to traffic, cycling and pedestrian routes. The event is intended to develop further some specific projects that the community can participate in and we would welcome your enthusiasm and attendance at the event on 15 May. UPDATE ON PROPOSALS FOR DAVIDSON'S MAINS ROUNDABOUT In our November Newsletter we provided details of a proposed re-design and upgrade of the roundabout at the west end of Main Street. The changes included enhancements to the pedestrian crossings as well as other improvements and these proposals are still available on the DMSA website. At the time the Council were reminded of the firm commitment that had been made after the fatal accident in 2017 to consider a traffic light controlled junction as an alternative proposition against a background of complaints over many years about the safety of the crossings. The Council acknowledged that and since then a full traffic assessment has been undertaken of the pattern and frequency of vehicle movements at the junction to see if the quite stringent criteria for traffic lights can be met. Ultimately the decision will be based on a cost versus risk assessment. The Council Traffic Signal Team are currently analysing the data to see if traffic lights could be a viable option and, if so, they will go on to provide a design layout. Whatever the outcome of this exercise, a basic upgrade to the roundabout, or a full traffic light controlled junction, the final recommendation will be put out to public consultation within the next two or three months. The safety of pedestrians at the crossings is everyone’s top priority but we know that there are mixed views on the installation of more traffic lights in the village so it is important that everyone takes the opportunity to have their say on the issue. THE SCOURGE OF VANDALISM AND ANTI-SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR It is very dispiriting that a report on the incidence of vandalism and anti-social behaviour by groups of youths is becoming a regular feature in our Newsletters. After a period of respite from about the end of October last year, when firstly Inverleith Park and then Cammo Estate had become the location of choice for the youths to congregate, the trouble returned to our area from about mid February this year with the grounds of Lauriston Castle again being targeted, particularly on Friday evenings and over the week-ends. The youths, who are mostly under age, congregate in the grounds to drink alcohol and generally create a mess and cause damage, with the Japanese Garden being subject to serious damage on more than one occasion. The police have the difficulty that when they take steps to disperse the youths and move them on, the trouble spills over into Barnton Gardens/ Cramond Road South and along to Main Street creating problems for residents. There were many reports of minor crime, acts of vandalism, and numerous instances of intimidating and threatening behaviour directed at local residents and innocent passers- by. We know that residents are worried about it and they tell us they would like to see a much more visible and regular police presence. Unfortunately with present police resources that is just not going to happen. In the current financial year there has been a further cut in the Council funding for community policing and even the present modest allocation of community police is likely to be reduced further. To be fair to the police, when trouble escalates they do try to provide extra resources. After the incidents during March, the police anticipated that the period of the school holidays in April could be very problematic and so ten additional officers, with a mix of plain clothes and uniformed personnel, were allocated to the North West Area. The local police anticipated that with these extra resources they would be able to do more to pre-empt trouble before it occurred, rather than just providing a high level response afterwards. All the indications are that the strategy was successful with local residents telling us that they are relieved that the two weeks of the school holidays passed without any significant problems. Everyone recognises that more has to be done to try to make the grounds of Lauriston Castle more difficult to gain unauthorised entry at times when the gates are locked and some ideas to achieve that objective are to be considered at a meeting of interested parties in May. The local police always attend the monthly meetings of the committee to discuss law and order issues and it is much appreciated. They are once again now also providing a written report which is made available on the DMSA website for residents who want regular information. A surprising statistic from the April meeting was that during the month of March when there were incidents each weekend, the police received only fourteen reports to the 101 number. The police stress that it is important that residents notify them of issues as soon as they are aware of anything. It allows the police to get a complete picture of what is happening in their area, to make the best use of resources, and to provide as quick a response as possible. NEWS ON LOCAL PROJECTS It is good to see that two projects on which the DMSA has long been campaigning have progressed this year. The worst road surface in our area on Silverknowes Drive, and there is serious competition for the dubious award, has recently been surface dressed which is very welcome, even if it was not quite the full restructuring and resurfacing which had originally been promised. Also the upgrade to the N1 cycle route through Davidson’s Mains Park to Queensferry Road to provide an improved surface and lighting is under way and will be completed over the next two or three months. Moving forward, a number of streets on east Silverknowes will be surface dressed this year, including Silverknowes Road East, Silverknowes Southway, and sections of Silverknowes Grove, Gardens and View. It is pleasing to note Silverknowes Road East has been added to the list in response to comments from the Association after it had been omitted from earlier lists. On the major project front we will continue to press for improvements to the layout of the junction of Ferry Road and Silverknowes Road East, and also support FutureDMS in seeking improvements to the crossing on Main Street at the crossroads with Silverknowes Road.